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Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Kim Olson has been named Vice President-Chief Communications Officer for Carlson Companies, the first such position in the company's history. The announcement was made today by Carlson Chair and Chief Executive Officer Marilyn Carlson Nelson.

The appointment of a Chief Communications Officer for our enterprise reflects our continuing transformation to a more integrated operating company," Nelson said. "Kim's brand expertise and PR agency background make her perfectly suited to step into this historic role."

Olson will join Carlson's executive committee and will report to Nelson.

Currently Director, Brand Public Relations for General Mills, Olson heads all brand PR efforts at General Mills -- from Wheaties box introductions to the Pillsbury Bake-off. Prior to General Mills, Olson headed global client services for Weber Shandwick Public Relations.

Olson holds professional accreditation from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), is a member of that group's Counselors Academy and is a PRSA Silver Anvil Award winner. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, she holds a bachelor's degree in journalism.

Carlson Companies is a global leader in the marketing, business and leisure travel, and hospitality industries.

Mall of America is seeking an organized self-starter to serve as an Events & Marketing Operations Coordinator. This entry-level position is responsible for planning, sourcing, implementing and executing events at Mall of America to drive traffic and increase tenant sales. This position is also responsible for ensuring guests of Mall of America have a positive shopping and entertainment experience.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

Oversee the Exceptional Evenings Program, Mall Stars Mall-Walking Program, the development and implementation of the new Culinary Program, and create and manage all phases of events. This includes sourcing, negotiating, arranging and implementing events that generate over $20 million in media coverage annually.

Serve as a liaison between departments to ensure communication of marketing events, and assist Events Manager and staff with the responsibilities of the Events Department.

Oversee the writing & distribution of the monthly Merchant Newsletter and the following community relations programs: Pond Fund, Donations and Community Booth.

We are seeking a candidate with a BA/BS degree with an emphasis in marketing or business management, 1-2 years experience in event management and coordination, and excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills. Candidates should be proficient in computer skills including MS Office, PowerPoint, Lotus Notes and have flexibility to work varied schedules including weekends, evenings and holidays. Organization, a keen attention to detail and responsibility are critical to the success of this role.

Monday, September 26, 2005

Things are changing at DQ. You can be a vital part of reinvigorating this great American brand. Our plans are ambitious, requiring new talent and fresh ideas.

American Dairy Queen Corp. is seeking an energetic person to support DQ's brand team in managing DQ menu categories for growth and profitability (treats and treat concepts). Develop marketing plans to strengthen product line and overall brand performance.

The ideal candidate will have three plus years of experience in advertising, marketing or promotions (prefer quick service or retail marketing experience) and a Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Public Relations or a related field.

Supports brand manager in the creation and execution of annual business growth plan. Develop strategies to create, strengthen and improve flagship product lines.

Articulates the "voice of the consumer" into product needs and desires. Write product concept statements and catalogs new product ideas / improvements along with corresponding test and promotional results.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Marshall Field's, which Federated acquired from The May Department Stores Co. for $11 billion last month, has 62 stores nationwide. Those stores, along with one Ayres in Indiana and the Macy's store at the Mall of America, will be operated by a Minneapolis-based division of Federated to be known as Macy's North.

Monday, September 19, 2005

As you probably know by now, a lot has been written about corporate blogging in the last couple of years. Major corporations like General Motors and Microsoft have demonstrated how highly-visible blogs can be contagious and can help companies reach new audiences.

But to date most small companies haven’t jumped into the blogosphere. Often small companies don’t have the workforce or the infrastructure to explore this new world and, as a result, have overlooked blogging and the solutions it may offer them.

It is my belief that smaller companies can benefit more from blogging than larger companies for several reasons. Let’s develop a couple hypothetical scenarios about a small company we’ll call ABC Co. to investigate this idea more thoroughly.

Public relations help: The Minnesota Parent Teacher Association needs volunteers to assist local PTA units, write and edit newsletters, and perform general public relations duties. For more information, call Sharon Erickson Ropes at 651-999-7321.

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Looking to work on some of the most well respected brands in the world? Need to change to an environment where people are passionate about the brands they help build? Where the strategic thinking and creative work are internationally recognized as among the very best? Where we've assembled arguably the most coveted group of brands to work on in the world?

We're looking for an account leader with 5-7 years of experience to lead and manage advertising and marketing communications programs for several of our world-class brands. Possible work for our newest brand, Borders.

The right candidate should have a track record of insightful thinking, and the proven ability to help generate potent creative work and business results. And, of course we'd expect excellent interpersonal as well as client management relationship skills, strong ability to lead and motivate teams, superb project management, presentation and organizational skills.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

The Twin Cities office of Weber Shandwick today announced the promotion of Barb Hemberger from director to vice president in the healthcare practice. Hemberger began her career with the agency seven years ago as an account supervisor. Since then, she has been instrumental in the success of both the financial services and healthcare practices with regard to client leadership and national media relations efforts.

Lisa Carufel joins the financial services practice as a senior account executive. Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Carufel worked as a senior associate in public relations at Jones Lang LaSalle in Chicago, IL, a leading real estate services and money management firm. Carufel received her bachelor's degree in speech communications and Spanish from Miami University of Ohio.

Steffen Ryan joins the financial services practice as an assistant account executive. Before joining Weber Shandwick, Ryan was the communications director for the Satrom for Governor Campaign in North Dakota. Ryan earned his bachelor's degree in political science and international studies from the University of North Dakota in GrandForks.

Teri Firkins joins the Web relations practice as a Web designer. Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Firkins was creative director at Microgistix Technologies. Firkins received her bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota.

Monday, September 12, 2005

The second annual PR blogging summit,Global PR Blog Week 2.0, will be held September 19-23, 2005. The forum will bring more than 50 influential PR practitioners andbloggers in an online environment to discuss how public relations and businesscommunications are changed by new communications technologies including,weblogs, podcasting, RSS, and wikis. During this year's five-day forum, participants from Argentina, Canada,Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, UnitedKingdom and the United States will publish more than 70 case studies, articlesand interviews covering the latest breakthroughs in online technologyincluding:

The event is free and open to everybody -- for asking questions, makingcomments and participating in the discussion through the event's weblog.

The planning of Global PR Blog Week was done mostly on the internet, byusing a public Yahoo! Groups discussions list, and the New PR Wiki, acollaboration space for professionals interested in the practice of publicrelations, hosted at http://www.thenewpr.com.

Sunday, September 11, 2005

The job interview is over and it was stressful! You enjoyed the opportunity and really feel you put your best foot forward, but now all you can do is sit back and wait right? Wrong!

Now it is time to write your thank you notes. Why? Because a simple thank you can push an otherwise good interview to a great interview. An interviewer is looking for someone that is good at PR, right? So if you can't sell yourself how are you going to sell someone else?

Thank you notes don't have to be painfull.

It is a simple five step process:

Greeting:

Dear Mr. Johnson,

Acknowledgement:

Thanks for taking the time to show me around your company.Personalization:

I really liked meeting the team and feel that my personality would be a great addition.

Reminder:

Thanks again for meeting with me. I look forward to working with you in the future.

Closing:

Many thanks,Ryan

It is that simple and I promise thank you notes will make a difference. Have a story or a suggestion about thank you notes? Comment below.

Ingenix, a UnitedHealth Group company, is one of the largest health care information and research companies in the industry. No one competitor offers the same breadth of products and services as Ingenix. In fact, our competitors strive to copy what we have done. We offer the most comprehensive set of data, technology and analytic capabilities. The power of our products and services help customers leverage information assets, enhance clinical and financial insight, increase the quality of health care delivery and administration and improve cost management.

If you’re a recent college graduate looking for an outstanding, entry-level position that offers unlimited growth and the chance to work with an array of products, look no further. We’re the Marketing Department and our goal is to increase product awareness, sales and market penetration of our brand.

We’re seeking a self-starter Specialist/Analyst with excellent communication skills to join our driven team of professionals. In this highly visible role, you would be supporting the Pricing Director analyzing and evaluating current products and working on gaining competitive intelligence.

Your key responsibilities would include:

Support the pricing and positioning strategy of 100+ products

Interacting with the Pricing Director and the Marketing and Sales teams

Evaluating current pricing of products, success of the products and making comparisons of our pricing versus our competitors’ pricing

Analyzing the data and presenting the findings to the Director for use in new and/or updated pricing strategies

A background in analysis is a must. Excellent computer, communication, interpersonal, analytical and organization skills are essential. A Bachelor’s degree in a related field is required.

UnitedHealth Group offers a full range of comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental and vision, as well as a matching 401k and an employee stock purchase plan.

If you are interested in growing professionally within an innovative, highly respected organization, we invite you to explore this excellent growth opportunity!

Friday, September 09, 2005

September 7, 2005 -- Machine Dreams Incorporated, the Minneapolis-based high technology resource center for business specializing in audience response systems, videoconferencing, interactive training, office automation, and multimedia production, has chosen Maccabee Group as its public relations agency.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Buehner will bring internship experience to healthcare and financialservices practices

BLOOMINGTON, Minn., September 8, 2005 -The Twin Cities office of Weber Shandwick today announced that Stacy Buehner will join the agency as an assistant account executive and will work on accounts in the healthcare and financial services practices.

Prior to joining Weber Shandwick, Buehner interned in the public relations department at Fairview-University Medical Center and also served as the public relations director and special events coordinator for the University of Minnesota's Habitat for Humanity Chapter. Buehner graduated from the University of Minnesota in May 2004, with a bachelor's degree in journalism with a focus on strategic communication-public relations.

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Specialist, Media RelationsEmploying more than 270,000 team members in 47 states, we value creativity, diversity and collaboration in all its forms. From stocking our stores' shelves with fantastic products at great prices to a deep commitment to community giving, Target strives for excellence in every area.

PURPOSE

Assists in presenting Target as a successful retailer and responsible corporate citizen to the public and helps maintain and promote the company's reputation overall. Serves as spokesperson for Target and assists with execution of general public and media relations efforts.

SEE YOURSELF

Responding to media inquiries about the company, including basic Target information, company expansion and store openings, product requests, and crisis communications.

Coordinating company information and helping monitor news media

Coordinating news releases on store openings, store closings and other company issues

Flexibility to travel in order to conduct media relations training sessions.

Ability to perform effective oral presentations and training

See The Rewards

Eligible team members will receive one of the best earnings packages anywhere, including competitive pay, all-around insurance coverage, 401(k), flexible scheduling, training and development and many other perks and benefits. See a place of exciting challenges and rewards. See a place where you'll feel empowered to do something brilliant. See a place filled with creativity and unlimited opportunity. See a place where 'work' could easily be called play. To apply, visit our careers Web site at www.Target.com/careers to view all career opportunities. See yourself here. Target is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is a Drug-Free Workplace.

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

There aren't many jobs out there where you can use your public relations skills to improve and save the lives of thousands of Minnesotans.This is one.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is seeking an experienced public relations professional to join its Center for Prevention.The consultant will be responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating all aspects of a public and media affairs strategy in support of the Center for Prevention’s health improvement agenda.Over a ten-year period we aim to significantly decrease tobacco use and other risk factors for heart disease and cancer among Minnesotans.The consultant will report to Blue Cross’ director of media and public relations and will be dedicated 100% to work of the Center for Prevention.

Qualified candidates will have work experience in the following:

Public relations planning and implementation

Media relations, including spokesperson identification and training

Campaign evaluation

Public relations agency or contractor management

Community outreach planning and implementation

Public health, health care, public affairs or related field

Candidates must have a Bachelors degree in journalism, communications or closely related field, and a minimum of 8 years of versatile professional communications experience, preferably in both health nonprofit and corporate environments.

Friday, September 02, 2005

In light of what has happened in the south this week it has been difficult for me to concentrate long enough to put together a post. If you have been as broken up about this as I have please help! Click here to donate.

May God bless America and be with our brothers and sisters in their time of need. Now lets do all we can to help!